Improvement in permutation locks



DANIEL L. TOWER, OF NEW YORK, Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN PERMUTATION LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 120,129, dated October17, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL L. TOWER, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in PermutationLocks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the artto make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing forming part of this specification.

My invention consists in the improvement of permutation looks, ashereinafter described and subsequently pointed out in the claim.

In the drawing, Figure 1, Sheet 1, represents a face view of the lockwith the bolt thrown for ward. Fig. 2 is a view of the same, showing thebolt ready to be thrown back; also showing in dotted lines the positionof the bolt when thrown back. Fig. 3 is a section looking down from theline as w of Fig. 2. Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is a crosssection of Fig. 2 takenon the line 3 y. Fig. 5 is a view of one of the disk-wheels, with aportion broken away to show the manner of changing the combination. Fig.6 is a section of Fig. 5, taken on the line 2 z.

Similar letters ofreference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the door. B is the case or shell of the lock. 0 is the knobof the look by which the disk-wheels .are turned. D is the knob by whichthe bolt is thrown. E is the bolt. This bolt is made in two parts, Ebeing the bolt proper and F an end piece jointed thereto by a pivot,which allows it to be turned up at a right angle with E, as seen in Fig.2, preparatory to being thrown back. The two parts of the bolt arehalved together, and on the side of the piece F is the pinion G, (seeFig. 3;) also seen in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2. H is a rack, whichengages with the pinion connected at one end with the gear-wheel I. (SeeFigs. 1 and 2.) J represents the disk-wheels, two only being shownin thedrawing, but any desired number may be used. K is the shalt upon whichthey are rotated. L is a gear-wheel on the shaft connected with thefirst disk J by screws in m. This first wheel J is a littlelarger indiameter than the fother wheels, so that the drop-bar will be held mp byit clear of the other wheels when placing the wheels for unlocking. N isthe spindle of the knob O, on which is a gear-wheel, O, which engageswith the wheel L. P isa bar, upon one end of which the gear-wheel I ispivoted. The

other end of the bar is pivoted to the plate q of the shell, as seen inthe drawing. It is an arm reaching out from the bar 1?, upon the lowerend of which is a finger, S, (the end of which is seen in dots in Fig.2.) This finger enters the groove T in the side of the first disk-wheelthrough the opening Z, and as the disk is revolved by turning the knob 0back the groove allows wheel I to drop into gear and operate the rackand pinion for throwing up the end F of the bolt. This is done when thedisk-wheels have all been properly placed according to the combinationfor unlocking. U is a dial-plate on the door, under the knob (J, afinger, c, being attached to the shank of the knob to guide the operatorin moving the disk-wheels. The bolt E is thrown by turning the knob D. Dis a disk on the shank of this knob, in which is a pin, seen in dottedlines in Fig. 3, which enters a slot in the bolt and throws the boltbackward or forward by a crank motion. In the sides of the disk-wheelsare pins 0, which come in contact with each other in placing the disksto form the combination. The disk-wheels are made in two parts or withcentral movable disks d, to which the pins 6 are attached. These innerdisks are held in any desired position. The

combination is changed by moving them, and thus changing the position ofthe pins c,- and they are held by means of cam-grooves in the smallkeywheels f and the plates 9, which plates are thrown by the cam incontact with the edges of the inner disks (1, and thus firmly holdingthe disks and pins 6 stationary in the disks J until another change inthe combination is desired. The con- .struction of these inner movabledisks d, and the manner in which they are confined in and make a portionof the disk J, is plainly seen in Fig. 6. The cam-fastening abovedescribed is seen in Fig. 5. In the periphery of each outer disk (bethey more or less in number) is a slot or notch, into which the arm 1%drops when the disks have all been placed according to the combination.The arm It extends out over all the disks and drops by its own gravitywhen the notches allow it, and, as before stated,when it drops thegearwheel I drops into gear with the wheel L the finger S enters thegroove T and is held down by the groove, when a slight back movement ofthe knob throws up the end F of the bolt and

